ROCKET VEHICLE WITH INTEGRATED ATTITUDE CONTROL AND THRUST VECTORING

摘要

A rocket vehicle (10) includes a controller (18) that integrates operation of a variable-vector main thruster (12) and attitude control thrusters (16). When the main thruster (12) is firing and roll is commanded, the controller (18) can provide roll moment by firing only a single attitude control thruster (16), while changing the thrust vector of the main thruster (12) to offset any pitch/yaw moments induced by the firing of the single attitude control thruster (16). The single attitude control thruster (16) may be a thruster on the leeward side of the rocket vehicle (10). Since there is a lower wall pressure on the leeward side of the rocket vehicle (10), the thruster efficiency is improved by accomplishing roll by use of a single thruster (16) (which may be one of a pair of thrusters used to achieve roll in one direction). A significant reduction in fuel use may be accomplished.